Museums! How Accessible for Individuals with Disabilities?

Abstract

The research aims to investigate the accessibility of the museums in Istanbul for individuals with disabilities. It seeks to assess the museums' suitability for those with physical, visual, and hearing impairments, identifying any existing challenges faced by disabled visitors, including physical barriers within the museum spaces. The research conducted on the museums in Istanbul between 2022 and 2023 utilized a qualitative research method. It consisted of two main phases. Initially, the selection of the museums to be visited was determined. Subsequently, checklists aimed at assessing the accessibility of these museums were developed and submitted for approval to two academic experts specializing in the education of individuals with physical, visual, and hearing impairments. These checklists were then piloted in a museum setting, involving six physically impaired, two visually impaired, and two hearing impaired individuals. Their feedback on the adequacy of the checklist questions in determining museum accessibility was collected and incorporated into the research process. In line with the checklists consisting of 23 questions, which were finalized in the second part, 41 museums in Istanbul were visited and evaluated in terms of accessibility for the disabled. The obtained findings were analyzed by the content analysis method. Upon examination of the data collected from 41 museums in Istanbul, it was determined that none of these museums met the necessary requirements for accessibility. The findings indicate a significant gap in meeting minimum standards for individuals with physical, visual, and hearing impairments, and reveal that these individuals are unable to visit museums not due to financial constraints but primarily due to the inadequate physical conditions within the museum premises.